Try Something Different, Kupo!
by Hope Trinket
Summary: [Parody] - Serah and Mog give Noel moral support whilst he solves anomalies from Yaschis Massif and beyond. Rated T for mild language.


**Author Note: **Does anyone else hate those clock paradox-things? I do. And people tell me: Follow a bloody walkthrough. And I'm all: I can't because I flunked it so much and it keeps shuffling! D: And they say: Laurie, shut up and man up. Yeah.

This is kind of reflecting my feelings on 'yes, i get it, serah/noel and mog, try something different, shut up plz' when solving these stupid paradox things.

* * *

Noel remembered the first time they had to resolve the anomaly.

Yaschas Massif, a grand and wondrous place where mountains stretched to the skies, the grass patched and ankle-high. The fresh scent of wildlife never failed to consume his senses as both he and Serah trekked further and further across the Massif's back. It was a sharp reminder that his world would never be polluted with such serenity. The skies in his world were dark, sun in what seemed to be hibernation.

The relentless waves of gold swirled from a white centre, spreading upwards and dissipating into thin air. Some reached out to the ground, joining the roots beneath Pulse's floor, shimmering into nothingness.

"This must be the cause of the paradox," Noel took a few steps closer, examining it, but not close enough to be pulled in. "And if we fix it...?"

"...It should resolve everything." Serah finished twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger once, twice. "But what do we have to do, exaclty? Is the artefact in there?" Noel himself couldn't answer this and Serah knew; she just had a habit of speaking aloud sometimes... A bit. She blamed overtime at the school which is where that "habit" started.

Mog sprung forward, serious. "I'm sensing something from inside, kupo." He hovered closer. "Let's go, kupo!"

Noel frowned. "Since when did you start going-"

"Right!" Serah didn't hesitate and soon Noel was alone, both having disappeared upon contact with the portal thing-a-majig. He sighed heavily and jumped in after, deciding to just drop the matter since logical answers tended to avoid him like the plague. Sucks...

And thus began Noel and Serah- (kupo!)- oh, and Mog's anomaly adventures...

* * *

They were standing on platforms.

Actually, Serah and Mog were on one platform levitating off to the side, while Noel stood on a panel of his own only he was facing a walkway of similar tiles. A glass-textured object spun on its ass- erm, _axis. _Seconds ticked by and the crystal vanished, appearing in another location, on a separate square.

The void surrounding them was sprinkled with stars... or what seemed to be stars. In an unknown realm with no name - literally - it was hard to tell what exactly those glittering lights truly were. Maybe they were crystals too? Who knew? And why the hell was Noel questioning this when the freakin gate was standing twenty tiles away?

He turned to Serah gesturing to the layout. "Any ideas?"

She went into her thinking pose, hand to her chin, eyes averted to the ground. "Well..." Her gase shufted to the end of the maze. "The gate is there... There are crystals and... maybe they have something to do with our exit. Maybe they're kind of like an artefact." Serah shuffled her feet awkwardly. "Erm... I don't think I'll be much help."

Noel shook it off, assuring her he was fine. Because hey, hunting for crystals and running through a maze alone was nothing compared to fighting a behemoth alone. He took a few steps forward and the sound of something clanging - like glass - filled his ears. He turned around and was met wih two things:

Serah and Mog's wide-eyed (well, Serah's at least; it was hard to tell with Mog) expression, mouth agape as they stared at the spot Noel was just situated in. Two was the fact there was no freaking platform and the tile hewas on began to shake and clang. His heart skipped a beat and jumped onto a white square which shed its color to red once his feet made contact.

"The square's gone, kupo!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed?"

Serah cut in before the bickering could continue. "Noel, you'll have to think this out carefully. Everytime you step on a red, it disappears and if you stay on one too long, you'll fall."

_Is everyone pointing out the obvious today?_

"Good luck, kupo!"

* * *

*2 HOURS OF TIME TRAVELLING LATER*

Oerba 300AF, the abandoned town of a tribe of old age. Over the years, it seemed as if a lone desert seemed to stir, spinning dust clouds and sand into a vicious storm. Before they reached the first anomaly, the trio had to wander half blind through the village. It didn't help that the Cie'th monsters were able to see without breaking a sweat. And because of this, Noel had his weapon drawn at all times - because Mog was being a lazy piggy-kitty who refused to turn into the bow sword for whatever reason.

Now, Noel was cursing the damn clock of the anomaly with all he was worth. Dark coloured numbers whispered across circles on the ground. The hands were in the middle, and had he stood on a one, both hands would move to that spot and branch off in the opposite direction. It was worse when teh numbers were over four. Six and five were not easy to work nor were they, by any means, pleasant.

After the second reset, Serah decided to offer some words of encouragement from her 'forever-alone' panel. "We should... try to clear our heads."

In the beginning, he brushed her off with a 'thanks' - really, he was grateful. And that's what he said this time because hell, she couldn't do a whole lot and it really wasn't her fault she was stranded.

"Thanks, Serah!" He called before starting over.

*ONE DIFFICULT ANOMALY SOLVED LATER*

The second anomaly was no different. In fact, it was worse.

Again, he flunked the numbers until they reset into an even more hair-wrenching situation. There was a flash of white and he was back at the start, now facing a clock with different digits. Frustrating.

"Try something else, kupo!"

"You're right... Maybe starting with the larger numbers...?"

*ANOTHER DIFFICULT ANOMALY SOLVED LATER*

Noel was getting pretty pissed.

His body language gave it away.

Mog, being the little prankster/demon piggy-kitty he was smirked. "I'll be helping in spirit, so good luck, kupo!"

Serah shot the Moogle a wary look as if to say 'uh... I wouldn't say that if I were you' and Noel frowned at the duo.

"Yeah, thanks for your 'support'..." he muttered. _Can't you help in person? Erm... 'Moogle'?_

*OERBA 400AF, NO I'M NOT GETTING LAZY THIS IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THE FANFIC*  
_(fourth wall breakage)_

"This is boring, kupo... I can do a lot better, kupo. It's easy."

"Noel, why don't you take a break... I can try if you want. Let's just leave and come back in."

"Serah could probably have solved it by now, kupo... Noel?"

His eye twitched in irritation and he slowly turned his head to look at them, smiling as to not give away that he was 'effin pissed. "Yes. Mog?"

"...Try something different, kupo!"

3...2...1.

"YES. I GET IT, MOG. YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR THE PAST FIVE TIMES I'VE FAILED THIS AND MORE. UNLESS YOU CAN ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR MOOGLE MAGIC, _PLEASE_. JUST _SHUT. UP!_" he screeched before stomping towards the clock face again.

"Yeesh... Somebody's in a bad mood, kupo..."

"Ehehe..."

*LATER*

"I think that's all of them... One more level, and no more clocks."

"Yeah, but Noel..."

"Don't finish it, Serah... I know: This is my ninth attempt... And to make matters worse, I'm timed. Now there are two clocks I have to pay attention to..." He refused to move from his spot on the ground, trying to mentally map out future moves for this complexing puzzle...

"Noel, kupo?"

_Oh sweet Etro... _"What?"

"I'll be helping in spirit, so good luck, kupo! Break a leg, kupo!"

"..."

"Kupo!"

"..."

"..."

_I'll break a leg alright... Might not be mine though._


End file.
